Anna Gunn Biography

Anna Gunn was born in Santa Fe, New Mexico, to an interior designer named Shana and a real estate worker named Clem. She first discovered her love of acting in a drama class at Santa Fe Preparatory School, where she graduated in 1986. She then majored in theater at Northwestern University, where she graduated in 1990. During her time at Northwestern, she spent a semester in the fall of 1988 abroad, studying at the British American Drama Academy.

Anna is best known for her role as Skyler White, the wife of a high school teacher-turned-crystal meth cook, in the AMC drama series Breaking Bad. She played the role alongside actors Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul. For her performance, she was nominated for the Best Supporting Actress Emmy (Drama) in 2012, 2013, and 2014. She won in both 2013 and 2014. Although it was her most popular role, Skyler was also her most hated. Anna even wrote an op-ed piece for the New York Times in August 2013, examining the public dislike directed towards her character.

Besides Breaking Bad, she has been in numerous TV series', including a recurring role as Attorney Jean Ward on ABC’s The Practice from 1997 to 2002 and as Martha Bullock on HBO’s Deadwood from 2005 to 2006. She also appeared in an episode of Seinfeld called "The Glasses" and in an episode of Six Feet Under called "Parallel Play," as well as on the first season of Murder One. She provided the voice for Ariel in the Legacy of Kain video game series and in 2014, she starred with Billy Magnussen in Sex With Strangers, directed by David Schwimmer at Second Stage Theatre.

Anna and her ex-husband, actor and real estate broker Alastair Duncan (1990-2009), have two daughters together named Eila Rose and Emma. Recently, she starred in the film Equity, which is billed as the first female-driven Wall Street movie, and the biographical drama Sully starring Tom Hanks and Aaron Eckhart.